DATA SCRAMBLING AND ENCRYPTION OF DATABASE TABLES

• US 20080317242A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Venz, Michael Alan, Bohush, John David, Rothschild, Michael Allen, Rand, Christine Rose
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/16 the keys or algorithms being changed during operation

Abstract

An apparatus, program product and method protect data in a database table from unauthorized access through the combination of scrambling the data in the rows and columns of a database table and encrypting the data in different rows and/or columns using different encryption keys. A complementary descrambling and decryption process may then be used by an authorized party to recover the data stored in the scrambled and encrypted table.

Claims

1. A method for protecting data, the data arranged within a plurality of column entries, and the column entries arranged in a plurality of columns, the method comprising:

encrypting the data within each column entry using an encryption key associated with the column within which such column entry is arranged; and

rearranging at least a subset of the column entries into different columns such that each rearranged column entry is arranged in a different column than that associated with the encryption key used to encrypt the data in such rearranged column entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the column entries and columns are disposed within a database table, the method further comprising restricting access to the table by a user based upon a Media Access Control (MAC) address associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the column entries and columns are disposed within a database table, and wherein rearranging at least the subset of column entries into different columns includes changing the number of columns in the table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the column entries and columns are disposed within a database table, and wherein each column in the table is associated with a different encryption key from every other column in the table.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after encrypting the data and rearranging at least a subset of the column entries into different columns, rearranging at least a subset of the column entries into different columns such that each rearranged column entry is arranged in the column that is associated with the encryption key used to encrypt the data in such rearranged column entry, and decrypting the data within each column entry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of column entries are further arranged into a plurality of rows, the method further comprising rearranging at least a subset of the column entries into different rows.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

data resident in a computer readable medium and arranged within a plurality of column entries, with the column entries arranged in a plurality of columns;

at least one processor; and

program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor to protect the data by encrypting the data within each column entry using an encryption key associated with the column within which such column entry is arranged, and rearranging at least a subset of the column entries into different columns such that each rearranged column entry is arranged in a different column than that associated with the encryption key used to encrypt the data in such rearranged column entry.

8. A program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

program code resident in the computer readable medium and configured to protect data arranged within a plurality of column entries, with the column entries arranged in a plurality of columns, by encrypting the data within each column entry using an encryption key associated with the column within which such column entry is arranged, and rearranging at least a subset of the column entries into different columns such that each rearranged column entry is arranged in a different column than that associated with the encryption key used to encrypt the data in such rearranged column entry.